Mer

Aquatic Elf Racial Illustration by Joel Thomas

Basic Information

Anatomy

Mer have elongated ear tips, large eyes, and extended length on fingers and toes. Their fingers and toes are webbed to the second knuckle. They have the capability to exchange air both underwater and above water. Their skin is soft and slightly velvety to the touch. They are more comfortable in the water than on land. They can live in both fresh and salt water.

Biological Traits

Mer run on the average between 6-8 feet in height. They are slender in build with occasionally larger individuals. Warriors can intentionally bulk their muscles, although most fighters rely on agility and speed over brawn. They are slow and clumsy on land until acclimated, but can never overcome the additional handicap of not being in their natural environment.

Genetics and Reproduction

Due to the need for young Mer to be born into an aquatic environment, the Mer were genetically engineered to be oviparous, with adult females capable of producing approximately fifteen young over the course of their lives. The young are born after development in the egg after about three years gestation.

Growth Rate & Stages

When a female egg reaches maturity, she lays it in a nest area. The eggs are quite large, as Mer are born after three years gestation, but the shells are leathery and the unfertilized eggs are able to be squeezed into a cylinder shape for expulsion. The egg is fertilized by a chosen male, and watched over by the community in a community nesting area. Over the next three years, the fetal Mer grows to the size of a three year old Landsmen child. The Mer are born as children, not babies, and are able to swim, use both gills and nose and mouth to breathe, walk, and have some verbal skills at birth. They are able to learn in the egg, and they have things recited to them daily. They grow at a slightly slower rate than Landsmen, with physical adulthood being reached at about twenty five years of age. The Mer age more slowly than Landsmen overall, with a lifespan of about 150 years if they survive their natural habitat. A Mer is considered elderly at approximately 135 years. Average lifespan is approximately 120 years due to accidental death, mostly in childhood, and death from hostile Landsmen or fighting between factions of Mer.

Ecology and Habitats

Mer can survive in salt or fresh water, and prefer the top to mid-depths of the ocean. They can dive somewhat deep, to approximately 1000 to 1200 feet, but will not stay at that depth for any length of time. The majority of their communities are built at between 120-300 feet deep, which keeps them inaccessable to most Landsmen. The well-guarded nursery areas are built in the shallows or on top of reefs, which allows partial submersion of the eggs, but allows verbal and physical contact with them as well.
Mer can spend extended time on the surface, but do not prefer it, preferring the freedom and weightlessness of their natural habitat. There are some that interact freely with Landsmen, others that shun them as completely as possible. They incorporate reefs and natural caves into their building. The result is both surreal and beautiful, as fish, invertebrates, anemones, and coral live freely in Mer-cities.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The dietary needs of the Mer can be completely provided for by the sea. They eat fish raw, but cook shellfish and some bivalves in water-free areas. The sea provides fruit, vegetables, and high protein seaweed, some of which are much sought-after on the surface world. Some Mer raise and farm certain fish, invertebrates, and bivalves, some farm sea fruit and vegetables, and some hunt fish that are sought after on the surface.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The hierarchy in Mer society is built on family dynamics and respect. Mer form clans, and there are specific caste-like positions in those clans. Interestingly, opposite of Landsmen culture, one of the most respected positions is caring for and defending the eggs and defending and teaching the young. Adventuring is nearly equivalent to a long term spirit journey, with the older adolescents and young adults doing most of it, then settling down to recovery, farming, or mining occupations. Landsmen money is not sought after so much as barter for things that cannot be manufactured in the water.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

_{There is an underground trade in Mer for underwater mining by unscrupulous Landsmen.}

Facial characteristics

Mer have slightly pointed, larger ears and larger eyes than humans. Their heads have thick, coarse hair which is usually managed in tight twists even when cut short. Some Mer shave their heads. Mer are generally hairless other than facial and head hair, although their skin feels velvety and soft. Mer have slightly elongated faces and their noses are correspondingly slightly elongated. Mer lips run from full and thick to thin.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Mer can be found in both salt and fresh water, but do not prefer to live without a community. They will reside in very large lakes and at sea, and sometimes range up through rivers, swamps, and bayous, but do not stay in the shallows except to tend eggs.

Average Intelligence

Average intelligence was originally engineered to be above average at approximately 140-160 IQ points due to the amount of learning needed to survive in to ecospheres. Over time, this has fallen a bit to about 115-140 IQ points, with a very few Mer reaching 150-160.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Mer have vocal ranges ranging into the extreme high pitches, they can use this for sonar echolocation and communication in the water. They also have a complex sign language that they use in visible water. Some are highly empathetic, and are able to form empathetic bonds with sea creatures intelligent enough to bond with them, including cephalopods, porpoises, some sharks, rays, and whales. They can see well into the infrared ranges, and are able to see heat masses.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Some Mer are able to form empathetic bonds with some sea creatures. They will generally form one at a time until the creature dies, then form another. The Mer call these creatures 'familiars,' and generally will bond with a creature that is helpful to them in some way. They can bond with cephalopods, occasional shellfish, turtles, and porpoises. There have been instances of Mer bonding with small whales, but in general whales are not a recommended species, being too large and not able to be readily available due to their dietary and migratory habits.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Mer tend toward musical names with more vowels than consonants, consistent with the Polynesian Earth culture that most of them were engineered from.

Major Organizations

There are ten major clans of Mer, and multiple smaller clans that look to their parent clans for guidance. There are two major criminal clans in addition to these, known as the Fisherfolk and the Lobstermen specifically.

Beauty Ideals

The more brilliant shades are thought to be a higher standard of beauty, although very light Mer may choose a dark mate in hope of deepening the shades of their young. Many a deep chocolate or forest green Mer has been chosen to fertilize an egg of a sky blue or sunshine colored female. The colors do work on some genetic factors, but deep colors generally dilute an extremely light Mer into young with more deep and brilliant shades. There are no pure white or black Mer, although the very few extremely deep colors are sought after for fertilization. There is also a beauty attachment to markings, and even a Mer of ordinary color with extraordinary markings may receive requests to either fertilize or provide an egg.

Courtship Ideals

Since sexual activity and courtship have little to do with breeding, Mer are free to court whoever they like based on personality. Many Mer enjoy intricate courtship rituals including games of chase that involve swimming through mazelike areas made of coral. There can be sparring and fighting involved, but generally only between the couple to establish dominance.

Relationship Ideals

As the Mer have long lives, there is a tradition of reaffirming relationships every so often. If the relationship is unequal, the Mer can either repair it, or move on when it is time to reaffirm. Many Mer change partners after 10-20 years, they can reconnect with an old partner later in life and try again. Some Mer choose to have only platonic relationships, and this is also acceptable within Mer culture. There is no pressure to have romantic or binding relationships other than short term commitments.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Mer speak both Merish and Landsmen, and have an intricate sign language used for underwater communication. Some are able to empathically communicate with certain sea animals.

Common Etiquette Rules

In general, Mer are polite and respectful.

Common Dress Code

Nudity is not unusual among Mer, but outside dwellings and clan areas they usually wear a tunic of some kind. Their skin is thick, but sensitive to temperature changes. The Mer also adorn themselves with fish scales, sharkskin, and hunt trophies such as tooth necklaces. It is not uncommon for young Mer to hunt large fish, bring the carcass home to feed the clan, and retain the fish skin with scales to have garments for themselves made.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Holidays are celebrated the first week of every quarter to signify the turning of the year. On the first of the month that a Mer was born in, their birth month is celebrated clan-wide. Many eggs can hatch in the same month, as in general, once an egg is mature, the female will wait until there are several eggs that will be laid at the same time before laying. Females can hold a mature egg for up to six months, she must abstain from sexual contact with a male before the egg is laid. If a female holding an egg has sexual contact, her body will force her to lay the egg within fourteen days to keep her from being killed by the developing egg.

Common Taboos

Unasked for sexual contact is taboo. Forcing a female who is egg carrying is considered a particularly heinous crime, as the female may not be ready to lay her egg. Any assault or attempt at assault on a Mer nursery is a vile act and is repelled with extreme prejudice. Slavery or selling Mer into slavery is also a terrible crime.

History

Originally genetically engineered on Earth, the Mer were original colonists of Abba along with the less engineered humans now known as Landsmen. The historical records of the crossing are now lost following a cataclysmic volcanic eruption along the first settlements, both Landsmen and Mer. Since the memory was lost, Mer have developed a culture based around clan and the good of the clan. They are communal, with the community looking to elders for decisions based on the good of the clan. Meticulous birth records are kept so that the Mer do not weaken themselves by interbreeding.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Mer interact with Landsmen when they choose. Some Mer are extremely social and bold, and will interact frequently with Landsmen, and some dislike Landsmen intensely and only interact if they are forced to for some reason. There are Mer that will act as ocean guides for Captains that they have developed relationships with. Syndicate Mer will occasionally run a ship into a reef or rocks so that the cargo may be recovered to barter with.

Scientific Name

Homo Sapiens Aqueas

Origin/Ancestry

genetically engineered human

Lifespan

120 years

Average Height

6-8 feet in height.

Average Weight

150-250 pounds dependent on height.

Average Physique

Slender, tall, with the females having small breasts and slender hips. As the eggs prior to fertilization are quite hardy and malleable, females do not need to concern themselves with being egg-bound.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Mer come in a full range of rainbow coloring, with the hair and extremities being darker shadings, and the face and body having lighter shadings. They were engineered to camouflage somewhat, and will darken and lighten a bit depending on lighting. Most have spots or stripes, or some combination of this starting at the neck and extending down to the elbows and knees where the shading intensifies. The markings are unique to the Mer, and are darker on the back, becoming lighter to almost nonexistent on the front.